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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Researchers: women use luxury products to ward off other women

There has been extensive research in the scientific community on luxury items and their effect on consumers and what they signal to others. Research shows that luxury items can boost self-esteem, express one’s identity, and signal status.

One of the factors that influence women to shop for luxury brands is when they see celebrities wearing them. Women feel that wearing them embodies and defines their style.

Celebrities, models and royalty have become the ambassadors of these expensive brands.

Woman are using luxury products to send strong signals to their female counterparts to steer well clear of their man — and it works, new research has found.

High-end fashion labels including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior, Prada and Chanel are among the handbag weapons used by women to tell their female rivals to back off and not hit on their man.

Researchers found females are fierce competitors when it comes to strutting their stuff and signalling they are in a strong, well-functioning relationship.

Testing conducted in the study found that women saw a man as being most devoted to their lady when the woman wore luxury products purchased by them and it put a sudden stop to other women pursuing the taken man.

Social analysts say the fending off of women through the use of luxury products is “classic display behaviour.”

The tendency to purchase and exhibit expensive goods is known as conspicuous consumption. Luxury goods and luxury brands are often used to communicate a person’s wealth or level of prestige. The research found ... “Luxury goods are known to serve an important function in relationships for men by helping to attract romantic partners.

“Men who flaunt luxury goods are seen as more sexually attractive by women.”